Transcendent (9781311909442) (12 page)

“You’re right!” the other soldier said as he
brought his rifle up and picked up his head. He started scanning
the forest to Krys’s right.

Krys stared up at the leaves above him. The
soldiers had thermal optical capabilities built into their helmets.
How could he possibly hide from that? He drew his leg up and
planted it down again, wincing at the pain. Pain didn’t matter,
though, not in a situation like this. Mr. Strain had taught him
that too. He could howl and cry and feel sorry for himself all he
wanted later. Right now he needed to be on his game.

He pushed with his hands and good foot to
climb back to his feet. He turned sideways, keeping himself
concealed behind the tree, and tested his foot again. It hurt, but
he knew he could walk on it. He didn’t have a choice.

“Call for backup,” the second soldier
said.

Krys grimaced and turned to look into the
forest. If he was lucky, he could make it to a thicker tree that
had split off into three trunks near its base. From there he’d be
guessing on where to go and how to stay hidden. The odds were bad
any way he looked at it. And every second that passed made them
worse.

“Damn optics don’t work very well,” the
first soldier complained. “So warm here I can’t see any residual
heat on the ground.”

“They were probably wearing shoes,” the
second man said.

They were both silent a moment before the
first man said, “Foxhound one and two, stand by. Investigating
confirmed local anomaly at your two-ten-zero.”

Krys tried to quiet his breathing while he
listened for a response. If there was one, he never heard it. No
doubt it went straight into their helmets. He risked a quick glance
and ducked back before they noticed him. They wore the same armor
the woman soldier who had saved him wore. Helmets with a visor to
cover their eyes and armor that looked almost like it was some sort
of exoskeleton.

Mr. Strain had told him about the kinds of
armor he’d seen and used when he was a soldier. There were
lightweight vests that protected the torso that hardly any soldier
bothered with anymore. Then there was the field armor that the two
men hunting him had on. That was the standard and from what Mr.
Strain said, it was designed to stop just about any standard bullet
from breaking through. The joints at the arms, legs, and neck were
the weak points, but without a military class rifle, there was no
point in trying.

They’d seen another kind of body armor, too.
Mr. Strain had never run into it before but he said he’d heard
about it. It was a fully enclosed suit that had its own power
system. They could be used in a vacuum or underwater and, if what
he’d heard was right, they even had some special surprises built
into them. Thrusters for maneuvering in zero g or whatever else
they could think of.

Krys hoped none of those heavy suits were
after him. He was having a hard enough time with the two regular
soldiers after him. Krys turned away and started to sidestep
through the forest. Each step was torture. His ankle was on fire
and every time he came down on it, it felt like he was shoving it
into a burning fire pit.

“Contact!”

Krys turned and saw one of the soldiers
raising his rifle. If he could see the soldier, that meant the
soldier could see him! He gulped and dropped like a stone to the
ground, and then began to frantically start crawling away from
them.

A rifle thundered behind him, stealing his
breath and paralyzing him. Torn vegetation fell around him.
Shredded leaves fluttered to the ground and his cheek was
splattered with the juice of a fern that had been cut in half.

“Is he down?”

“I don’t know. He’s not moving.”

“Finish him off. I want to get back.”

“Corporal said she wanted us to capture the
rebels, not kill them.”

Krys sucked in his breath and looked around.
He had three meters to go to the tree and once he was there, he had
no idea. There was no way he could get away. No way he could do
anything but lay there and die. And then they’d go after the
others. The only family he had left.

Krys forced himself to his knees and stood
up, favoring his leg. He held his arms up and called out as loudly
as he could, “Don’t shoot! I surrender.”

One of the soldiers swore. The other
chuckled. “Good thing, it looks like another kid.”

Krys jerked when he heard that. Were kids
special? Some, like Lily, had been captured and sent away. Was that
what they were going to do to him to? Would he go where she went?
Would he get to see her again?”

“Foxhound one and two, we have a
prisoner.”

Krys turned slowly, limping on his twisted
ankle, and came to face them. “Are—are you going to shoot me?”

“Don’t do anything stupid,” the second
soldier growled at him.

The first soldier nodded his head and
motioned with his gun towards Krys. “Roger, extracting now,” he
said into the radio in his helmet.

The second soldier slung his rifle and came
forward. “Hurt your leg?”

“My ankle.”

The soldier grunted. “Can you walk?”

“I think so.”

“Good. I don’t want to have to come up with
a story about why you resisted and I had to shoot you.”

Krys gasped and nodded. “I’ll make it.”

The soldier stepped out of his way and
nodded towards the edge of the path. “Get going, kid.”

Krys took a breath and hissed it out with
his first step. He was not looking forward to the walk or to what
lay at the end of it.

The president’s ceremony was over, allowing
Lily to leave the stage after the president and before the general
assembly of students. They emptied into a conference room where
they had gathered before the ceremony. Lily turned to leave when
Palla grabbed her arm and yanked her off to the side.

“What are you doing?” Palla hissed.

Lily blinked. “I was going to go back to my
room.”

Palla’s eyes narrowed. “That’s not what I
mean and you know it!”

“Then what? What I said out there? About
being a biomech pilot?”

“Yes! You’re a brilliant young woman—why
would you make a joke like that? The president is not going to be
happy!”

Lily tried her best not to react to Palla’s
criticism. “I wasn’t joking.”

Palla hesitated, her mouth still open. She
shook her head. “You’re not smart, you’re crazy!” she muttered.
“Why would you want to waste your life doing something like that?
The military? Come on! The military is for people who aren’t smart
enough or talented enough to make it. It’s nothing but being
babysat and playing games with expensive toys. And then, once in a
great while, maybe they have to go and do something with a remote
chance of being hurt. To them it’s still just a game!”

Lily stared at her ignorant mentor. She
wanted to scream at her and slap her. She wanted to grab her by the
hair and yank her to the ground so she could hit her. Palla was the
stupid one, not Lily. She had no clue what she was talking about.
Lily had seen the military firsthand. She’d watched them—

“I’m very disappointed in you,” Palla
continued. “And I’m sure that President Ondalla will be too.”

Lily took a breath to force herself out of
her memories. “If it’s all about playing games, then what’s wrong
with it?”

“You could offer so much more,” Palla
said.

“Thank you for your thoughts and concerns,”
Lily offered. “I appreciate how honest you’re being with me. In my
experiences, you’re misinformed. I was there when the military took
over my village. I saw how they made a difference, whether it was
good or bad.”

“And you think you can take part in making a
difference that way?” Palla asked.

Lily nodded. If nothing else, her fame would
let Krys know she was still alive. She’d have to come up with a way
to let him know she still thought about him and wanted to see him
again. One silly childish kiss wasn’t enough! He was all she had
left of her old life. The odds were pretty good it was the same way
for him with her.

“Lily, don’t be silly! The military does
what their commanders tell them to, and they do what the president
tells them to. It’s the president who makes the difference, not the
people under him.”

“The same could be said of any career path
then,” Lily pointed out. “When I make it to the games, then people
will see me. They’ll see how I behave and act. And then I can
really make a difference. I can show them how to do things.”

Palla started to respond again but her eyes
shifted and she clamped her mouth shut. She stiffened as the sound
of a single person clapping reached Lily’s ears. Lily turned
slowly, her face already warming. Her fears were confirmed when she
saw President Ondalla walking into the middle of the room.

“Well done! Everyone, well done,” he
congratulated them. “You’ll all serve as fine and upstanding
examples of how humanity can raise itself to a higher, better
place.”

The students clapped in response to his
verbal back-patting. Lily joined in and wondered if Palla’s fears
were unjustified. The president’s eye swept across the students and
paused when they met Lily’s. She saw the wrinkles deepen at the
corner of his eyes before he turned towards her and walked
over.

“Miss Lily Strain,” he greeted her. “A
pleasure to meet you and speak with you again.”

“The honor is mine, President Ondalla,” Lily
managed to say before offering a curtsy.

“Palla Overbeck, Mr. President. An honor to
meet you,” Palla gushed beside her.

“Ah yes, one of our younger mastery
students. Administration? Noble, but a thankless path. Very much
needed, but it’s often a lonely trek.” He greeted her with a smile.
“Miss Lily, could we have a word?”

“Of course, Mr. President,” Lily said. She
glanced at Palla and nibbled her lip for effect. “Sir, um, Palla is
my mentor. It’s a new project—she’s doing a trial that reflects her
mastery path. Would it be all right if she accompanied us?”

One of the president’s eyebrows rose. He
spared the gaping Palla a glance and smiled. “Of course. Any way I
can help the future of humanity.”

Lily shot Palla a smile and then turned to
follow the president as he walked towards a door with a guard
standing beside it. A guard in full heavy armor who held his rifle
across his chest. She tried not to focus on the soldier as she
followed the president through the door. Palla slipped through
behind her, her lips clamped shut for once.

After the door shut, the president turned
and sighed. “Lily, that was an interesting choice you made. I take
it you were impressed with the display of the biomech match? I
can’t fault you. I’ve seen a few one-on-one battles as they worked
out the bugs of the new system. It takes my breath away every
time.”

“Yes, sir,” Lily agreed. “I also saw them on
Venus. In action.”

“Awe inspiring, are they not?” he said.

Lily kept her snort to herself. Terrifying
was a better word for them.

“And you wish to pilot one?”

“Not just pilot,” Lily said. “I want to be
in the games. The best of the best, as you said.”

His chuckle sounded forced. “That’s quite a
task you set for yourself, young miss.”

Lily nodded. “I know. I’ll work hard, sir.
Harder than anyone.”

“I don’t doubt that. But why? Why the
military? You do realize that’s what you’re going into, right? To
join the army’s armored division.”

Lily nodded. “I wasn’t aware of the details,
but I knew it was the military path. I want to do it so I can do
what you told me I could.”

He tilted his head. “Go on.”

“You said I could be an example, sir. You
said I could show people things. I believe that when I reach that
level, people will know me not only as the smart girl who got lucky
on a few tests, but the girl who worked hard and proved that
anything is possible. My behavior, in and out of the tournament,
will be an example and an inspiration.”

President Ondalla stared at her for a long
moment. A smile slowly lifted his lips and he nodded. “I see. Very
noble of you. Selfless even, to dedicate your life to showing
others how they can serve their fellow humans.”

“Yes,” Lily agreed.

“You must understand how difficult it is to
do what you want. You’re so very young. The odds are stacked
against you and there will be many who are resentful of your boasts
and accomplishments. They will try to stop you.”

Lily glanced at Palla and then back at the
president. “I understand, sir. But that’s what I’m expecting.”

“It doesn’t frighten you?”

“If this was an easy path, I wouldn’t be
interested in it. It wouldn’t let me have the same influence that
I’m counting on.”

He stared at her again and shook his head.
“You amaze me, Miss Lily. So advanced beyond your years. Are you
sure you’re only fourteen?”

Lily grinned. “Yes, sir. Only fourteen.”

He turned to Palla. “What do you think, Miss
Palla?”

Palla hesitated and glanced back and forth
between the two of them.

“Go ahead, speak freely. If she’s to
understand what she’s getting herself into, she’d best hear it from
her friends first.”

Palla nodded. “I think if there’s anyone
stubborn enough to do it, it’s Lily.”

President Ondalla laughed. “That’s spoken
like a true friend!”

Lily blushed and turned to see Palla beaming
at the president. She looked back, her embarrassment fading as her
irritation with Palla rose.

“Perhaps, when you’ve achieved your mastery,
your administrative skills might serve your friend well. If she
manages to pass the tests needed. Are you up for a challenge, Miss
Lily?”

Lily stiffened. Wasn’t she challenging
herself enough already? “Yes, sir!”

“Let’s see if you can’t pass the
prerequisite benchmarks by the time you hit sixteen. Then a year of
advanced studies and, if you pass them in the proper percentile,
you’ll have the hardware installed and be ready to pilot your first
biomech within days of turning seventeen.”